Farhan to play astronaut Rakesh Sharma

The biopic on former Indian air force pilot Rakesh Sharma, who is also the first Indian man to travel into space, has been in the doldrums for a while now. While the difficulty in finding a lead might have made it seem like the film was done, the makers have bounced back with the project securing Farhan Akhtar to play the astronaut's role.

The film has been titled 'Saare Jahaan Se Acchha'. Before this was in news, Aamir Khan, who had turned down the role, had reportedly recommended Shah Rukh Khan for the film. The latter then walked out on the project after his film 'Zero' tanked at the box office.

As per reports, Farhan has been locked in. A source said, "After a lot of brainstorming, the team zeroed in on Farhan as he played athlete Milkha Singh to perfection in 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag'. Talks

are on and after finishing his current commitments, he is expected to jump into the prep, which includes body transformation, physical training and understanding the nuances of an astronaut."

The script for the film has been finalised and the makers will now move on to cast the ensemble cast and soon work out a schedule to begin shooting according to the report. The film is being produced by Siddarth Roy Kapur and will be helmed by Mahesh Mathai.